Lost and Found
by Alley Cat Sunflower
Summary: Modern AU. After traveling alone with her dog Corrine for a few years, Sheena finds herself stranded in Aselia City with no money, no connections, and nowhere to go. She doesn't bargain for finding any of the above on her first night, much less all three wrapped into a certain obnoxious redhead. Will she ever learn to be careful what she asks for? I do not own Tales of Symphonia!
1. Crash-Into Hello

It all started when Sheena realized she didn't have enough cash on hand to pay for dinner, let alone stay at the Aselia Motel.

That was always bad news at sunset in a new city. Not that there was a _good_ time to realize she was out of options, but she really shouldn't have put off opening her tattered old wallet till she stood outside the inn. At least if she'd checked it before she got into town, she might have been able to land some sort of odd job instead of heading to a motel she couldn't afford.

Sheena wished she didn't have such a strong moral compass. Survival would be a lot easier if she didn't hate thievery so much, but then, there weren't exactly a lot of more savory short-term options for a runaway. She eyed the clock through the window to the lobby: almost six on a Freetday evening—the downtown streets would probably be relatively busy this time of day.

"Come on, Corrine," sighed Sheena resignedly, adjusting her satchel on her back and tugging gently on her beloved puppy's leash; the sooner they got this out of the way, the better. Corrine perked up immediately at his name, picking up his ball of sodden newspaper, and trotted along behind her as she led him a few streets over. Time to get to work…

Parking herself by some newsstands outside a café at a street corner, and leaving Corrine to play with his paper, Sheena kept an eye out for anyone who looked notably wealthier than the usual crowd. If she _had_ to steal, she'd rather pickpocket someone who was likely to have all the funds she needed. That way, she'd only have to avoid being caught once, and she also probably wouldn't end up taking anything from anyone who couldn't afford the loss.

It wasn't too long before Sheena identified her next victim. He didn't look more than a few years older than her, with long and luxurious red hair hanging halfway down his back, silky and smooth in the fading sunlight. But most telling was his outfit, which evoked the sort of contrived effortlessness popular among people her age—white jeans, immaculately clean high-top sneakers, a form-fitting black t-shirt, and a salmon-colored zipper hoodie with _gold accents_ he'd thrown over his shoulder. (If that didn't scream _I have way too much money_ , Sheena didn't know what did.)

…Of course, the stranger also stood several inches taller than her and was clearly well-muscled, which could be a problem if she was caught… but Sheena didn't intend to let it come to that. No matter how little she liked it, over two or three years of constant travel, she'd practically perfected her sleight of hand—but her skill level didn't mean anything in Aselia City, because the law enforcement in this town was apparently _on point_.

No sooner than Sheena oh-so-accidentally tangled herself in Corrine's leash and crashed headlong into the aforementioned rich guy than she heard a voice that most definitely did not come from her latest victim: "Hey, you, with the pink ribbon. Stop."

It was the first time Sheena had been caught in the act instead of after the fact; she froze with her hand still in the stranger's pocket, fingers clamped onto his wallet. What was she supposed to do? Withdraw her hand and pretend she hadn't done anything, or admit it and apologize? Nothing had actually been stolen, anyway, so they probably couldn't arrest her for the attempt. Could they…?

Before Sheena could arrive at a decision, the stranger deftly took her wrist and removed it from his pocket… and then slipped his hand into hers, interlacing their fingers. His grip may have been surprisingly gentle, but his hold was a strong one, and the message was clear: _don't try to run_. "Evening, Officer Aurion," he greeted conversationally; Sheena stared up at him in astonishment, taking a good look at his face to try and gauge the situation. "How are you doing tonight?"

But the officer evidently thought little of pleasantries: "Do you know this girl?" he asked, gazing down at Sheena intently and crossing his arms, and a quirk of an eyebrow was the only change in his stern expression. A shiver ran up and down Sheena's spine; though he spoke to the stranger, he did not move his dark eyes from her face. Glancing away would only make her seem even more suspicious, so she forced herself to return his stare and pray she looked innocent.

The stranger only laughed lightly, squeezing Sheena's hand in a gesture of either warning or reassurance. "You think there's a girl in this town I _don't_ know?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, and his bright blue eyes sparkled in mirth; she dared to glance up at him again apprehensively. "You do your job really well, so I guess I should thank you for keeping an eye out, but we're good," he added, his grip on Sheena's hand tightening. "Now it's your turn to stop. You're scaring her."

Officer Aurion's sharp eyes finally moved from Sheena's face to evaluate the stranger's skeptically. "Mr. Wilder, I'll trust you this time," he sighed, his voice simultaneously resigned and threatening, "but if you come to the station to tell me that your wallet is missing, I may or may not decide to forward your request to the proper authorities. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," responded Wilder swiftly, still smiling slightly, though something about it seemed strained. "Have a good night, Officer," he added, lifting his other hand in something of a wave to signal his dismissal; Officer Aurion nodded once, shortly, and finally returned to his post, his eyes lingering on them even from a distance as if to tell them to move along.

Wilder evidently didn't need to be told twice. As the light finally turned, the small crowd on the sidewalk lurched forward, and he pulled Sheena across the street suddenly, ignoring her startled yelp. "I don't like him either," he told her, an edge to his voice; Sheena glanced back in a sudden panic to find Corrine trotting after her obediently, his leash trailing after him, and breathed a sigh of tentative relief. "Let's just get out of his sight, and then we can talk this over."

Even if the idea of 'talking things over' had rarely sounded less appealing, Sheena had little choice but to follow Wilder as he led her into an alley between a corner store and a local bar-and-restaurant. "Cute puppy," he observed, nodding toward Corrine. "I assume he's yours?"

Sheena nodded hesitantly, wishing Wilder would let go of her hand; she wiggled her fingers, hoping he would get the hint, but he either didn't understand or ignored the sign. "Y-yeah," she responded, looking anywhere except his eyes. "His name's, um, Corrine."

"And what's yours?" asked Wilder, gazing down at her with an unnervingly unreadable expression on his face, but his tone seemed kind enough.

Taken aback, Sheena jerked her eyes up to his and cleared her throat. "Sheena," she responded warily, and wondered a split second after the word left her mouth whether she should have offered him another pseudonym. Then again, 'Sheena' wasn't her real name in the first place, so she should be fine. She could always change it again if he somehow ruined this one for her.

Wilder nodded in apparent understanding, though something in the motion seemed distracted, as though he hadn't actually been paying attention to her response. (Sheena wasn't sure whether that was more reassuring or insulting.) "And you were trying to steal from me because…?" he prompted.

Sheena frowned in confusion, glancing down at the ground again as she mustered the strength to shelve her pride. "I… I need the money," she mumbled eventually, though she still wasn't sure why Wilder had asked. Why _else_ would she have tried to steal from him?

"No, no, I got that part," he interrupted before she could clarify her confusion, though something in his expression told her that had not been the case. "I mean, why _me_. There were plenty of other people you could have fooled, and they were all closer, too."

"You just… seemed like you could afford it?" managed Sheena, ducking her head as her explanation curled up into a shy sort of question. "I—I'm sorry," she added hastily, realizing that she had not yet apologized. "I didn't…" She trailed off uncertainly. What was she trying to say? _I didn't mean to_? That was laughable, given that she'd just revealed her reasoning.

She started as Wilder actually did laugh—but rather than the amusement at her expense that she had expected, there was instead what looked like relief in his expression, along with… wonderment. What had she said that was so surprising? "So I'm just the average rich guy to you, huh?" he asked, almost cautiously, and Sheena nodded hesitantly. What response was he angling for…?

"Good to know," Wilder told her, breaking into her thoughts. "But really, honey, if you wanted to get your hands in my pants, you could've just _asked_ ," he chuckled; Sheena's eyes widened, the heat rising to her cheeks. He let go of her hand as she tugged it from his grasp, but his grin remained. "Anyway," continued Wilder, as nonchalantly as if such flippantly flirtatious comments were routine, "I was actually going to let you get away with it, but of course good ol' Aurion just had to stick his nose in my business. _Again_." His voice turned unmistakably sour.

Sheena blinked, torn between curiosity at the less-than-pleasant history his tone implied, and utter shock at his intention of turning a blind eye. Of course, the astonishment won: "Um," she began uncertainly. "You were going to…?" She trailed off, second-guessing whether she even had the right to ask. Calm conversation was already far above and beyond what she'd expected, anyway; maybe she'd better be satisfied with that, and not ask for any further explanation.

But Wilder nodded, looking faintly amused at her shock. "Well, yeah," he responded, crossing his arms. "You look like you need it more than me. Which brings me to my next point," he added, leaning casually against the wall. It was amazing how a rich guy like him could look so at home in a dingy alleyway, thought Sheena distractedly. "We're going out to dinner."

She stared at him, thoughts freezing; it wasn't a question. "W-we're _what_?" she stammered, taken aback, just as she remembered his comment about her hands and his pants, and two and two clicked together. She may have tried to steal from him, but this was above and beyond what she could be expected to owe him, especially at the age of fifteen: narrowing her eyes, she took a deep breath and settled into a combat stance. At least she knew where she could find a policeman, thought Sheena bitterly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—relax," remarked Wilder, his eyes wide as he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. Though his smile didn't disappear, it acquired a distinctly nervous edge; maybe he didn't really know how to use those muscles after all.

Sheena reluctantly stood down, gazing at him in search of an explanation, and Wilder let out a long breath after a short pause. "I didn't _mean_ anything by it," he assured her, not altogether convincingly. "I just thought, since you look like you could use a good meal, I could maybe pay for it. Since you didn't get away with my wallet like you wanted."

Sheena scowled at him as fiercely as she could, wishing Corrine would stop playing with his newspaper and look menacing for once. "I don't need your pity," she hissed, but of course her stomach almost drowned out her words with a growl, and she stared at the ground in shame. She had chosen to run away, so she had to deal with the consequences on her own. Accepting charity was out of the question, especially from guys like this.

"You may not look like you're starving, but you sure sound like it," sighed Wilder, eyeing her midriff; she hugged her arms to herself uncomfortably. "Come on, I think you owe me this much," he added, before Sheena could respond. "Just one meal?" His voice was earnest and genuine, but there was a peculiar underlying note a little like desperation.

Sheena frowned slightly; if he was fighting this hard to take a pickpocket out to eat, he must be in really dire straits… especially if he actually did know so many other girls. If none of them would go out with him, even though he plainly had a lot of money and looks that might make lesser ladies faint, there must be something _deeply_ wrong with his personality. "Is it that hard for you to get a date?" she muttered, mostly to herself.

Wilder heard her, raising his eyebrows in apparent surprise. "Didn't you hear what I told Aurion?" he asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "There's not a girl in this town I don't know. You're not from around here, so of course I'm not going to miss a chance to get acquainted," he reasoned.

Sheena glared at him, and to her astonishment, Wilder instinctively flattened himself against the wall. She wondered fleetingly how many women had looked at him like that before, and for what reasons. "I thought you said you didn't mean anything by it?" she asked, as sharply as she dared.

"I don't!" insisted Wilder, eyes widening innocently. "Just… go with me on this, okay?" he persisted. "If nothing else, we can walk back the way we came, and you can help me convince Aurion I didn't do what I just did," he added, quickly enough that it sounded like an afterthought. "Think of it as helping bail me out, in exchange for bailing _you_ out. Deal?"

Sheena pursed her lips, weighing her options carefully. Truth be told, honor was already fighting a losing argument against hunger. If she'd managed to snag his wallet, she would have spent it on food first, anyway… and even if what basically amounted to a date with a somewhat strange stranger wasn't her first choice, she _did_ owe Wilder for helping her out.

As long as he didn't try anything funny, there couldn't be any harm in taking him up on his offer, right…? The last of Sheena's willpower finally crumbled at the prospects of a good meal, and she took a deep breath. "Deal," she agreed cautiously, summoning what remained of her determination and looking Wilder in the eye.

His face lit up with a sudden but delighted smile. "Shake on it," he commanded, and Sheena extended her hand tentatively. Wilder took it once more in his own, but after giving it the customary shake, he brought it up to his lips and kissed her hand lightly: her eyes widened, and she barely resisted the urge to snatch her arm back and slap him. The more he did things like that, the more second thoughts she had about going with him…

"Oh, and one more thing," smiled Wilder, and though he lowered her hand again, he did not release her; either he was oblivious to her mistrust, or he was just really good at ignoring things he didn't want to see. (Sheena had a sneaking suspicion it was the latter.) "You can call me Zelos."

"Okay then… Zelos," she muttered, and he gave her an encouraging nod, leading her back into the street by the hand in almost childlike eagerness. Tugging Corrine along after her, Sheena followed him helplessly, staring at the darkening sky. It was only her first night in Aselia City, and she'd already seen about as much of it as she wanted to.

 _What_ had she gotten herself into…?

* * *

 _This started as a teeny tiny oneshot focusing on a completely different scenario in a completely different timeframe, but then it spiraled into an entire AU, so I started at the sort-of-beginning. It's been a wild ride already, and I have no idea where this is going, so we'll see how—or if—this works out. Either way, thanks for reading!_


	2. The Usual

"Where are we going…?"

By the time Sheena dared to ask the question that had been on her lips ever since they started out, it felt like they'd walked at least a mile since they'd doubled back to make sure Officer Aurion saw them together.

Though Zelos had thankfully let go of her hand by now, his fingers instead rested on the small of her back as he guided her along. To Sheena's confusion, they didn't seem to have any problems traversing the busy streets side by side. It was less that people moved aside for them, and more that nobody got in their way to begin with.

"Ossa's," responded Zelos promptly, as if he'd been waiting for her to ask. "Best restaurant I can think of offhand. Also, because I think a certain somebody should be on her shift right about now, which means I get to see her reaction." He laughed. "She's going to be so mad."

Sheena frowned. "Is this _certain somebody_ like, your ex or something?" she asked cautiously, glancing up at him. Honestly, she wasn't really sure she wanted to know, but it was the only conversation she could think to make on the spur of the moment.

Zelos shook his head. "I wish," he told her, though his tone was so light that Sheena wondered if that was even remotely true. "Nah, she didn't even need to date me to hate me. Even though I asked her every chance I got." She would have expected him to look sad or at least disappointed given his last words, but Zelos didn't seem put out in the slightest.

"Maybe that's _why_ ," suggested Sheena, shaking her head, just as they arrived in front of an awning that probably read _Ossa's_ (Sheena had never really gotten the hang of reading cursive). As Zelos moved to nudge her inside, she spun away from him, something occurring to her… but she tangled herself in Corrine's leash for real this time, and her eyes widened as she realized she was falling backwards. Not _again_ —!

Corrine had thankfully survived long enough in Sheena's clumsy company that he knew to get out of her way… but even if she wasn't going to squish her dog, colliding with the ground was still never fun. However, even as she squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for impact, someone caught her in a dip: a forearm supported her shoulderblades, a hand rested on her ribcage—and if the pressure on her lower back was anything to go by, she seemed to be draped across her savior's lap.

Brief and scattered applause from bystanders startled her, and Sheena's eyes snapped open; of _course_ it was Zelos, though it took her a second to recognize him because she'd never seen his face so close before (and, she added to herself, she never wanted to see it this close again). "I didn't know you liked dancing," he teased her, pulling her carefully upright again. "I should take you sometime."

Rather than acknowledge what had just happened, Zelos graciously helped Sheena disentangle herself from Corrine's leash. "I—I was just going to say," she hissed through grit teeth, feeling her color heighten, "I should probably leave Corrine outside. He really needs a bath, and someone in there might be allergic, and… uh, dogs aren't usually allowed in restaurants anyway, right?"

But Zelos only smiled. "It's sweet of you to worry like that, honey," he told her, waving a dismissive hand, "but it'll be fine. Now, come on, before you get yourself tied up again." And, before Sheena could so much as protest, he pulled her inside by the wrist, and Corrine trotted after them.

The hostess glanced up from arranging menus as they entered; recognition flashed on her face as she noticed Zelos, followed immediately by clear suspicion and dislike in her blue-gray eyes. This was probably that _certain somebody_ , realized Sheena, if she hated him like that. She had relatively short and somewhat unruly silver hair, and her half-rimmed glasses glinted in the light as her cool gaze swiveled over to Sheena.

"Hey, Raine," greeted Zelos. "Table for two, please."

"As usual," sighed the waitress, shaking her head, and plucked up a single menu. "Is this your latest victim?" she added, looking Sheena carefully up and down. "You must be getting desperate if you picked up someone this far outside your usual type. And might I add, there are no dogs allowed," she added, eyeing Corrine disapprovingly.

"Can't you make an exception?" asked Zelos, throwing his arm around Sheena's shoulder; she almost flailed as he pulled her off balance again, drawing her too close against his side. "She gets nervous without him."

Sheena shot him a glare, and Raine raised her eyebrows disbelievingly, looking over at her as if in search of an explanation. "I _tried_ to leave him outside," explained Sheena awkwardly, but could not suppress a note of accusation directed at Zelos as she edged away from him.

This did not escape Raine's notice; she shook her head, her eyes flicking up to Zelos. "You've _got_ to find other ways to show off for your girlfriends," she told him. "Believe it or not, the rest of us aren't particularly thrilled when all you ever do is demonstrate that you can break the rules and get away with it."

"Oh, I only ever bend them, honey," Zelos assured her, brushing a lock of his hair out of his face; Sheena narrowed her eyes, unsure whether it was more reassuring or unnerving that he used 'honey' so indiscriminately.

"We can resume this argument later," Raine told him, narrowing her eyes. "In the interest of not starting an altercation, I'll let the term of endearment slide for now. Right this way, _sir_ ," she added, as another customer opened the door behind them. "Miss, please leave your dog outside." She took off through the maze of tables at a brisk pace, and Zelos hustled after her with a simultaneously amused and apologetic glance at Sheena.

Letting out a long sigh, she headed outside again, looping Corrine's leash around a lamppost and tying it securely in place. It wouldn't be enough to prevent someone from taking him if they really wanted him, but it was enough to keep him from running off, and that would have to do for now.

After another moment's thought, Sheena drew his dish out of her satchel (Corrine wagged his tail in anticipation of a meal) and rested it before him, filling it with the last of her water. "Sorry, Corrine," she whispered, resting her hand on his back, but he didn't seem any less pleased with something to drink. He was _such_ a good dog, thought Sheena, smiling; what had she done to deserve him?

"Don't worry, puppy," she added, moving her hand up to massage him reassuringly behind the ears. "I'll be back soon." She never liked leaving him out on his own for longer than about half an hour, since he started acting out if he got lonesome. Getting to her feet and glancing back once more, Sheena headed reluctantly back inside Ossa's.

Raine had returned to the counter by the time she entered, and Sheena approached cautiously. If she was under the impression they were going out or something, she thought, she _had_ to set the record straight. "Um, excuse me," she began, and Raine glanced over at her, not without some surprise. "I just wanted you to know, we're not… together," she explained awkwardly. "I only met him less than an hour ago."

Raine raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well, that's unprecedented," she remarked. "Then again, I suppose it makes sense. You don't seem much like the fake and frivolous kind he usually goes for, anyway, given the glare you tossed his way earlier." She stuck her pen behind her ear, standing on one hip. "At least he almost never asks the same girl out twice, so you should be safe after tonight."

"What do you mean?" asked Sheena, frowning. Zelos had sounded proud enough about knowing all the girls that she doubted very much whether a majority of them were his exes… though then again, if Raine's persistent rejections hadn't even fazed him, Sheena supposed he just might be even stranger than she thought. It would certainly make sense why he'd wanted so badly to take her out, anyway.

Glancing around furtively, Raine beckoned Sheena forward, and leaned in as if to tell some sort of secret. "The first date is just a formality," she explained in a low voice. "He doesn't go out on dates unless there's some reason for him to put in the effort. Most of the time," she continued, as Sheena's eyes widened, "he only does it to impress the girls he hasn't taken to bed yet. After _that_ , he either drops them, or they end up in some sort of polyamorous… polygon."

" _What_?" gasped Sheena. Obviously, she'd realized that Zelos was a flirt, but his behavior was so exaggerated and ridiculous that she never would have guessed him to be some sort of contemporary Casanova, especially since he didn't seem _that_ much older than her. Did so many girls really fall for that act…?

Raine sighed, straightening up again, and shook her head as she busied herself once more with the register. "I swear, he's slept with half the girls in the city," she muttered, but as she observed Sheena's alarm, she offered a small smile of reassurance. "Oh, but you should be fine," she assured her. "He usually leaves them alone if he doesn't see any reason to wine and dine them. Like me, for instance."

"Then as long as I don't _give_ him a reason, I should be fine," concluded Sheena, and Raine nodded—though her eyes slid to the door behind her as it opened to admit the next few customers. "Thanks for the advice, Raine," she finished hastily. "And, uh, sorry about the dog thing!" Not wanting to get in the way of her job, Sheena didn't wait for her response, and instead departed in search of Zelos.

To her own surprise, it didn't take her too long to find him, sitting alone with a lethal-looking bright green beverage. At a distance, he seemed unusually serious (and looked all the better for it, in Sheena's humble opinion), but grinned as soon as he caught sight of her. "About time," he greeted her, letting out a sigh of relief. "I was starting to think you'd run out on me."

Sheena shook her head hesitantly and sat down, staring at her water. She was a terrible liar, and that unfortunately included omitting the truth. How was she supposed to treat him, now that she'd learned more about his womanizing? Come to think of it, how had she been treating him _before_? It had been a longer day than she'd had in a long time, and at this point, she was at the end of her rope.

Zelos let out a long breath, leaning back in his seat and watching her with guarded interest. "So, what did Raine tell you about me?" he prompted, quirking an eyebrow. "Nothing good, I hope."

Disarmed by his nonchalance, Sheena jerked her head up to look at him. "Uh, pretty much?" she managed. "I mean, she did say you don't take girls out on more than one date before…" She trailed off, unsure how to phrase the rest of what she'd heard—mostly because she didn't fully understand what 'polyamorous' meant. Wasn't that like cheating? But if that was a part of his reputation, then why would any girl go near him…?

Zelos shrugged. "Yeah, well, it's not like there are any strings attached," he told her, drawing her out of his thoughts. "If a girl doesn't want anything beyond dinner, then hey, that's her loss." He smiled. "That doesn't happen too often, though. You should check out the menu," he added before Sheena could say anything. "I already know what I want, and so will they."

Jolting to action, Sheena opened the menu and scanned it quickly. Corrine could eat the leftovers if she had steak, she thought—and closed her menu as soon as she established that Ossa's did in fact serve steak. That was all she needed to know. "That was fast," observed Zelos, raising his eyebrows, and took her decision as a sign that he was allowed to talk to her again: "So, Sheila—"

"Shee _na_ ," she corrected him irritably. He'd specifically asked for her name, so it was the least he could do to remember it… especially since it was all of two syllables.

"Yeah, that's what I said," returned Zelos a little too quickly, fluttering his pale red eyelashes innocently. (Everything about him was beginning to annoy her; why did he get to have such long eyelashes? It wasn't fair.) "Sheena. How old are you?"

"Fifteen," she told him shortly. Sixteen in spring, but still. The younger she made herself seem, the less likely he was to make any moves on her, unless he was some kind of sicko. Which, come to think of it, might not be so surprising. She made a mental note to watch his reaction carefully; fortunately for them both, Zelos blinked at her rapidly as if taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Seriously?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in genuine astonishment. "That young? I figured you were old enough for me to share my drink with you." He shrugged, giving her a mischievous smile, and took a long sip. "More for me," he added, setting down his glass again.

If he could drink, thought Sheena, narrowing her eyes, that meant he was at least eighteen… but from the looks of things, he wasn't much older than that. She opened her mouth to tell him she didn't want his stupid drink anyway, but another voice cut her off. Not Raine's, to Sheena's disappointment—but service was service, and it was speedier than it should be in an establishment this busy.

Then again, Sheena would rather have been helped later by a friendlier waitress, because this Melissa girl seemed almost as though she was angry with her. She may have accepted Zelos's 'the usual' with a smile, but she had no such kind gestures for Sheena. After a series of terse and rapid-fire questions about her preferences, Melissa finally snatched up the menu and sashayed away.

"Hey, honey," Zelos called after her, "if you relay her order wrong, I'm calling off next Unday." His smile turned somewhat sharp, and the waitress almost stumbled as she disappeared around the corner; Zelos chuckled. "That should keep her in line. Melissa's one of the jealous ones," he explained in a sigh, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "In fact, next Unday is actually the day I kick her out of the circle. It's about time someone takes her down a few notches."

Sheena scowled at him, shocked. Even if Melissa had been a little rude, that was no reason to talk so casually about dumping someone obviously invested in him. As he observed her outraged expression, Zelos's smile vanished altogether, and he looked at Sheena with that peculiar earnest seriousness again. (These sudden shifts in mood had been more than a little jarring at first, but she was beginning to get used to them.)

"Don't look at me like that," he told her, his tone turning slightly defensive. "I've had to put up with Mel trying to tie me down for years. Ever since we met, she's been taking out her frustration on every other girl I see." He shook his head. "If she's got a problem with how I live my life, she should talk to _me_ about it, not pick on all my other honeys."

Sheena's frown deepened out of confusion; how could he have enough integrity to throw out a bully, yet have little enough of a conscience to have 'other honeys' in the first place? It didn't make any sense. "But enough about her," sighed Zelos, waving his hand vaguely. "You're something of a traveler, right?" he continued. "How long have you been on the road?"

"A—a few years," she responded evasively, caught off-guard that he hadn't asked after the reason behind her travels. Almost three exactly, to be precise, but there was no need for him to know that. As of five years ago, her adoptive family had blamed her for Grandpa's coma, to the point when everyone in the village had shunned her too… so she'd run away as soon as she was reasonably sure she could survive on her own.

Zelos nodded slowly, humming faintly in understanding. "And are you gonna keep traveling?" he asked, sounding interested enough in her response that it might have made her _want_ to talk to him. That is, it would have, if the rest of her interactions with him hadn't been so infuriating thus far.

"Yeah," responded Sheena warily. "I think so, anyway," she added less certainly, frowning. Honestly, she hadn't had a solid plan for years, other than to keep moving and avoid being sent back home. Even though living moment to moment was her modus operandi by now, it did get a little… exhausting after a while. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for, only that she hadn't found it yet.

"You don't know for sure?" asked Zelos, tilting his head, and Sheena winced as she realized she'd said too much… again. That, or she just wore her heart on her sleeve; she'd never gotten the hang of hiding it like everyone else. Maybe part of the reason she kept traveling was because she embarrassed herself wherever she went, so if she didn't stay anywhere, she might be able to live down her many mistakes.

"I don't know if I _can_ ," responded Sheena reluctantly. "Sure, I've run out of money a couple times before, but I can usually find some when I need it," she added. "I've never really had a problem pickpocketing till tonight." She stopped herself short; she was fatigued enough that she had to be careful not to volunteer more information about herself than necessary.

"So, you're telling me you're basically stranded," clarified Zelos, leaning forward again and touching his fingertips together with a faint smile. "In that case, why don't you stay here awhile? Aselia's a nice town."

"I _could_ try stealing from someone else," countered Sheena, narrowing her eyes resentfully; just because she'd failed with Zelos didn't mean she was incapable of succeeding. Nonetheless, she couldn't help but consider this unforeseen possibility. Staying? Anywhere? _Her_? That was a new one. Sheena encountered sympathy and suspicion in equal measure, but never open arms; of the people that ever talked to her, most just wished her good luck on her travels… right after they forced her on her way.

Zelos scoffed at her. "You really wanna risk that after the first encounter you had with our police department?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "I didn't think you were stupid. _Clumsy_ , maybe," he added, looking her up and down with a glint of amusement in his bright blue eyes, "but not stupid."

"Hey!" exclaimed Sheena, glaring at him. "The first time was on _purpose_!"

"Yeah, yeah," laughed Zelos, dismissively enough that she wasn't sure whether he believed her or not. "The point is, if anyone catches you next time, Aurion probably wouldn't let you off again even if I paid him cash." He narrowed his eyes. "I know, because I found out the hard way that he doesn't accept bribes. I've never met a less corrupt government employee in my life…"

Zelos's words no longer seemed to be addressed to her, and Sheena cleared her throat to draw his attention back to their conversation. "Even if I do consider staying," she explained warily, "I just told you I don't have any money, which means I don't have anywhere to go _inside_ the city, either. Besides, it'll probably take longer than I think to get back on my feet again." And, she added to herself, she didn't want to stay anywhere long enough to have to enroll in school.

Sheena had been homeschooled all her life, or at least for most of the twelve years she'd spent in Mizuho before she'd run away. Sure, she'd been a pretty quick learner and she'd also picked up a lot of street smarts during her years on the run, but the rough equivalent of a middle-school education probably wouldn't get her too far in a world like this, and she didn't want to take any tests to figure out where she belonged in a more conventional system.

"Well, you need money regardless of whether you decide to stay or go in the end, right?" pointed out Zelos. "As long as you don't try anything illegal, the world is your oyster. Oh, and speaking of which, I actually have a contact who's in the market for an assistant right about now," he added. (Sheena frowned; speaking of legality, or speaking of oysters?) "You should talk to him if you want to work. I think he'd hire Corrine at this point, if he would listen to him."

Sheena narrowed her eyes. She'd learned over the years that there was no such thing as a free lunch—or, in this case, dinner. Or job. "Why are you trying so hard to help me?" she asked, crossing her arms and looking him in the eye. "You don't know me at all, and I know as much about you as I ever want to know. I tried to _steal_ from you, for gods' sake!"

Zelos chuckled. "I can't say no to a pretty face, even if it's a little dusty," he responded, giving her what he evidently thought was a winning smile, and tipped his chair back as if that was the end of the discussion.

"But I didn't ask for anything," snapped Sheena, struggling to find the words to point out that if she'd straight-up told Zelos to leave her alone, he'd almost certainly have said no. She gave up before too long and instead took to hoping he would fall over… but to her dismay, his balance and/or luck were apparently much better than hers.

"Call it intuition," responded Zelos, tapping his temple with a finger and giving her a knowing smirk. "It's what makes me so popular with the ladies, you know," he added, winking mischievously. "Well, that and my devilish good looks." He gestured to himself as he sat forward again, his smug grin widening; Sheena looked him up and down skeptically. Yeah, sure, so he'd be superficially handsome if he'd just keep his mouth shut. So what? The only reason he looked like that was because he could afford to.

Sheena may have grown to value money a lot more since she'd run away, but it never really affected whether or not she liked anyone on a personal level. She'd never understood what made well-off women pursue rich men like Zelos when they could already buy everything they needed. Begging probably took less effort than pretending to like someone in the hope of getting favors. But regardless of whether she understood it, that was almost certainly happening on a large scale here, regardless of whether he chose to acknowledge it.

"And your money, right?" added Sheena pointedly. Zelos's eyes widened slightly at the scorn in her voice, and his smile froze in place for a fraction of a second. He recovered quickly enough that she could almost believe that nothing had happened, but upon paying closer attention to his mannerisms, she knew she hadn't imagined that momentary pause.

"Yeah," he agreed finally, but his aura of affable confidence seemed to have deflated a little; his smile turned slightly lopsided, and he spoke more slowly, as if his tongue was heavier. "And my money." As Zelos sipped at his drink quietly, staring at the light fixture, Sheena had to fight her instinct to feel sorry for him—even after everything he'd said. Maybe they'd had a point back home when they'd called her soft-hearted.

"Was that… supposed to be some kind of secret?" she asked tentatively after an extremely awkward pause, swirling her straw around in her water, and Zelos glanced up at the clink of ice cubes. "I already told you, the reason I tried to steal from you in the first place was because you looked filthy rich."

He frowned slightly and opened his mouth as if to explain something, but Melissa returned with their food before he could say anything: Sheena intended to thank her for the prompt service, but her eyes landed on her steak and did not move, her stomach growling again in anticipation. She didn't even have the energy to be embarrassed this time.

By the time she tore her eyes away from her dinner, Melissa had already disappeared—and, even though she hadn't asked, her water had been mysteriously refilled. "Doesn't it take longer than this to cook a steak?" asked Sheena, frowning down at her dish. It couldn't have been more than ten or fifteen minutes since they'd first come in, and they'd already been seated and served.

"They probably just snagged a steak from someone who ordered it rare like you," Zelos shrugged, and Sheena scowled: this was thievery of a different kind. "And they already know me," he added unconcernedly, "so they probably started my pizza as soon as I came in." Sheena transferred her gaze to his plate to find him cutting into a square of deep-dish pizza with too many toppings to count.

Using a knife and fork to eat a pizza struck Sheena as a little odd… but she'd already inadvertently offended him once, so she kept quiet and settled for digging into her steak instead. They did not speak again for the rest of the meal—but with any luck, if Raine's words were true, this awkward silence would be their last.

* * *

 _A much longer chapter this time, but I couldn't figure out where to divide it, so we'll just have to go with this!_


	3. Cursive

"Corrine…?"

Moving her hand along the sheet in search of her dog's warmth, Sheena quickly discovered that not only was Corrine no longer curled up in a ball beside her, but the sheet had gone entirely cold. Once the situation sank slowly into her sleepy mind, Sheena finally sat bolt upright, wide awake. _Oh no_ …

Corrine had _definitely_ been here when she'd checked into her room in the Sylvarant Hotel last night, which had honestly been just as much of a surprise as his absence was now. Hotels like this didn't usually allow pets, after all… but then again, she strongly suspected Zelos had pulled a few strings when he'd paid for the room. He'd offered to escort her to a place she could stay for the night, and she'd assumed he'd bring her back to the Aselia Motel.

If Sheena had known Zelos would take her _here_ , she never would have agreed to let him pay. She didn't like being beholden to shady strangers… but on a scale of not liking things, Corrine's mysterious absence was first and foremost in Sheena's thoughts. " _Corrine_ ," she repeated, a little more loudly, and patted the bed insistently in the hopes that he had simply not heard her… but no familiar flurry of motion greeted her, or even his little whine-like yawn. Somehow or other, Corrine had disappeared.

Before Sheena could start turning the room upside-down in search of her dog, however, a note on the bedside table caught her eye. She snatched it up, fingers trembling, only to find that it was written in… cursive. Of course. "I can't _read_ cursive," muttered Sheena to herself, glaring at the note in deep concentration. Even focusing as hard as she could, it took her at least five minutes to piece together everything the note said.

 _Good morning, honey!_ it began. _Sorry for taking Corinne with me, but I made a deal with the folks at the hotel, and they don't like dogs._ (She'd guessed as much, but the confirmation made her even angrier.) _If you want him back, ask for Detective Café at the police station._ (The hell kind of name was 'Detective Café'?) _If they refuse to see you, just show them this note._

His signature was just as obnoxiously fancy as it had been on the dinner bill last night, but that wasn't the end. Sheena squinted at the postscript, which was even less legible than the rest, as if it had been more hastily scrawled… and after another solid minute of analysis, her eyes widened in embarrassment and horror. _P.S. Sorry about your grandpa—you talk in your sleep_.

"That _bastard_!" exclaimed Sheena, crumpling the note in her hand as she balled it into a fist. However, even as she did so, she remembered she might need it, and smoothed it out again with an effort as she attempted to calm herself down. Walking right into a police station was probably the last thing Sheena wanted to do right now, especially after the events of last evening, but she didn't exactly have much of a choice if she wanted to get her dog back.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered to herself, plucking up her rucksack, and wrenched open the door—cursing her alleged benefactor and his stupid pretentious face as she locked it behind her and stormed away. "You win this round, Zelos Wilder."

* * *

"You," remarked Aurion, brought up short on his way out the door, and there was an uncertain note in his voice that might have been surprise. Sheena froze in place, almost tripping in earnest; this was the _last_ thing she needed after a solid couple hours wandering the city in search of the police station.

"Y-yeah," returned Sheena apprehensively, stumbling out of his way, but he didn't move forward. This could be trouble; she should probably explain herself so she didn't get accused of trying anything. "Me. Um, I was told to ask for Detective Café at the police station," she added in a rush, displaying Zelos's note as something of an afterthought. "I think he has my dog…?"

As Aurion took in Sheena's stricken expression, or perhaps the scribbled explanation, his stoic countenance softened slightly in something like sympathy. "So _that's_ what he was talking about," he sighed unhelpfully, crossing his arms and looking thoughtfully away. "I should have known Wilder would pull something like this. You'd better go inside and explain."

Before Sheena could ask what he meant, Aurion strode past her, shaking his head slowly… but then paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "I hope you've come ready to work," he added.

"W- _work_?" stammered Sheena, taken aback, but Aurion had already disappeared around the corner and taken all hope of understanding the situation with him. Taking a deep breath and clearing her mind just like Grandpa taught her, Sheena turned back to the station entrance and pushed the door open.

She stepped inside cautiously, senses on such high alert that the sound of the door closing again almost startled her. Still, she relaxed quickly; the front office was thankfully deserted except for a sole receptionist, whose placard read _Pronyma_ —no last name given. Prior to encountering this woman, Sheena thought that dark green hair and pale gold eyes were a difficult combination to work with… but she pulled it off effortlessly with flawlessly applied violet eyeshadow, dark nail polish, and darker lipstick.

In a word, Pronyma looked _formidable_ , which didn't do much to boost Sheena's confidence. "U-um, excuse me," she began, stepping shyly up to the counter, but Pronyma didn't so much as look up. "Excuse me," she repeated timidly, but almost flinched as the receptionist glared up at her, evidently irked by the interruption. "Can I speak to Detective Café?" As she spoke, Sheena slid Zelos's note across the counter for clarification.

Scrutinizing the contents suspiciously, Pronyma let out a short sigh, and her eyes flicked swiftly back up to Sheena. "Detective _Cah Fay_ is in his office," she explained disdainfully, pronouncing the syllables with odd emphasis. Sheena frowned; had Zelos given her the wrong name…? "Last door on the left," added Pronyma, gesturing down the hall: Sheena nodded once, swallowed, and wandered off in the direction she indicated.

It wasn't long before she arrived at her destination. _Y. Ka-Fai,_ read the sign on the frosted glass, and Sheena stopped short. _Oh_. Well, that explained a few things; apparently Zelos hadn't even bothered learning how to spell his acquaintance's name. However, there was no time for any further value judgments, as whoever was talking on the other side of the door was suddenly and rudely interrupted.

"No, _you_ listen," shouted a sharp tenor, so forcefully that Sheena half thought the glass would shatter. " _This wasn't my idea_! If you have a problem with it, talk to Wilder! Gods know I will if you don't!"

Even as he spoke, the door opened; Sheena staggered into the opposite wall, wide-eyed. A tall blond man with a perpetual sneer stalked out of the room, vanishing around the corner without so much as a glance at Sheena and leaving the door open behind him. Detective Ka-Fai let his visitor pass, then turned his sea-green glare onto Sheena so fiercely she couldn't think for a moment.

Thankfully, he couldn't stare her down for long; his turquoise hair was pulled into a long lopsided ponytail, half his bangs loose and disheveled and falling into his face so he had to brush them irritably out of his eyes. "And just who the hell are _you_?" demanded Detective Ka-Fai, looking her up and down coldly, and crossed his arms in undisguised impatience. "I'm busy. Unless you're here to file a report that your dog is missing," he added, looking her up and down with guarded interest.

Sheena's heart leapt. "Uh, y-yes, I am," she stammered, and Detective Ka-Fai's eyes widened slightly before he jerked his head aside in an indication that she should come in. Sheena followed him apprehensively, expecting the office to be in shambles… but everything seemed to be in order. What had been the problem, and where was he now…?

The thought had only just crossed Sheena's mind when Corrine started up from his position cowering in the corner and raced towards Sheena, curly tail swinging from side to side frantically. "Oh, Corrine!" exclaimed Sheena, plucking him up and lifting him above her head before spinning around once: he gave a faint squealing half-bark of excitement in response. "I'm so glad you're safe, puppy!" she added, bringing him down to nestle her face in his fur.

"I haven't gotten anything done all morning thanks to him," muttered Detective Ka-Fai, running a hand through his ponytail. "He was sleeping on one of my files, at least till Remiel came in and started snapping at me about _my_ allergies." He did look distinctly haggard, but Sheena couldn't help but think he might be exaggerating his misfortune slightly. "So this is Corrine?" he added, raising an eyebrow; Corrine wiggled in place as if trying to face him, tilting his head in recognition of his name.

"Yes, and I'm so sorry he caused you so much trouble," responded Sheena, words spilling out of her in giddy relief. "Thank you for putting up with him. I know he can be a handful sometimes." Of course, he _could_ have been destroying Detective Ka-Fai's office, she added privately, but sleeping on important papers wasn't exactly helpful either. "Um… how much did Zelos tell you?" added Sheena, realizing that the detective was still staring at her in apparent shock and disapproval.

"Next to nothing, _as usual_ ," returned Detective Ka-Fai bitterly. "He showed up at my apartment this morning and told me the owner of this dog was in need of a job, so if I looked after him for a few hours, I'd get an assistant out of the deal." He frowned down at Sheena. "I _assume_ he meant you. How old are you, anyway?" he added, stepping aside to close the door behind her.

"Uh, almost sixteen," responded Sheena cautiously, petting Corrine as much to calm her pounding heart as to pamper him. After years on the open road, Sheena _really_ didn't like being trapped in offices, especially if she was being interrogated like this. It always gave her the impression that she was in trouble—and with as few resources as she had, that usually meant the threat of losing all her freedom.

"So, you're fifteen," muttered Detective Ka-Fai, rubbing his forehead in one hand. (Evidently, swaying her answer towards 'sixteen' hadn't fooled him.) "And you're not in school… why?"

"I'm… not from around here," replied Sheena carefully. If this was really the job opportunity Zelos had told her about last evening, she couldn't afford to sound incompetent—even though that was probably the case, given that her skills extended to survival and not much else. "I've been traveling for a long time."

"Probably ran away from home," muttered Detective Ka-Fai half to himself, scowling, and Sheena tried with limited success to suppress her discomfort at how easily he could see through her. (Then again, he _was_ a detective; she shouldn't have been so surprised.) "He owes me an assistant, and he sends me a goddamn _runaway_."

"I—I know the streets," Sheena supplied, stung. "I don't know _these_ streets, yet, but… I could learn them?" She wasn't even sure where she was going with that, but if Detective Ka-Fai was implying that she was somehow worthless just because she'd run away from home… "Please," she continued, shelving her misguided pride and bowing her head. "I only need a job until I have enough money to skip town, anyway. You could just take me on till you find someone better."

Even as the words left her mouth, Sheena had to fight the urge to bury her lips in Corrine's fur and muffle them. Informing a police detective straight up that she was not only underage, but intended to leave town as soon as possible… well, that could easily be enough to get her packed up and shipped home on the next express. But instead—

"All right, you're _hired_ ," snapped Detective Ka-Fai, slamming his hands down on the desk: Sheena and Corrine both jumped and stiffened. "I don't like it, but I don't have much of a choice. I've been shorthanded long enough, and they don't pay me enough to do everything myself."

Sheena could only blink in astonishment for a few moments; there _had_ to be a catch here somewhere. In a city this size, there must have been plenty of much more qualified people ready to take the job—so why was Detective Ka-Fai willing to hire someone as inexperienced and unqualified as _Sheena_? "Is there… some kind of… paperwork?" she asked instead, haltingly. "That I need to fill out? Before you can hire me?"

"I'll check in with Pronyma," sighed Detective Ka-Fai, waving a dismissive hand as if it was none of her concern. "First thing's first, get out of my office and find yourself some work-appropriate clothes. A girl like you might be good at gathering information if your outfit wasn't so shabby." The last part was a mutter, as though he was no longer addressing her, but Sheena narrowed her eyes. _Seriously_?

Still, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was only temporary, and she could endure anything as long as she didn't have to tolerate it forever. Besides, neither of them were especially happy about this arrangement, but there weren't exactly a lot of alternatives. For now, they were stuck with one another.

"But… I don't have any money," confessed Sheena, hugging Corrine for comfort. She debated adding that this was why she needed a job in the first place, but bit her tongue to avoid talking out of turn. Saying too much seemed downright dangerous around Detective Ka-Fai. (Maybe that spiky aura was part of why he had so much difficulty finding an assistant…?)

"Then tell me where you're staying and I'll have Pronyma send some along," returned Detective Ka-Fai, gritting his teeth as though his statement was somehow obvious enough that he shouldn't have to voice it.

"I don't have an address…?" managed Sheena, the sentence curling into a question. For one reason or another, Zelos had only paid for the one night, so she couldn't even give Detective Ka-Fai the number of the hotel room.

Detective Ka-Fai stared at her in stunned annoyance. " _Excuse_ me?"

Sheena closed her eyes and tried to gather her courage, focusing momentarily on the dog in her arms, but she could still feel her ears begin to burn. "Uh, I—I haven't found a place to stay yet," she mumbled, shifting in place and trying to make herself look as small as possible. It had never been easy admitting her poverty, but when she was under this much pressure, telling the truth seemed almost akin to confessing to a crime.

"You _what_?" thundered Detective Ka-Fai, and Corrine whimpered: Sheena hushed him, resting her chin on his head. "Wait till I get my hands on that son of a bitch," growled Detective Ka-Fai, cracking his knuckles. "If I told Aurion even _half_ the dirt I've got on Wilder, he'd be in jail so fast he wouldn't know what hit him." He paused, his expression turning sourer still. "Of course, he's got more than enough money to get someone to bail him out, but…"

Corrine gave a small whine, and—realizing that she had started squeezing him a little too tightly out of stress—Sheena loosened her grip on her dog, pressing a quick and apologetic kiss to his snout. "You don't seem to like Zelos very much," ventured Sheena timidly, glancing back up at Detective Ka-Fai.

"Nobody likes Zelos Wilder," he scoffed. "And I mean _nobody_. If he didn't come from the richest family in the county…" He trailed off with a humorless laugh, and Sheena's eyes widened. So _that_ was why Zelos had shut down when she'd mentioned his money. Despite his obnoxiously carefree attitude, he seemed just self-aware enough to understand that he wasn't particularly likable. It couldn't be easy knowing that people only interacted with him because he was rich; by comparison, Sheena's solitary life was arguably healthier. At least people liked or didn't like her based on her personality, since that was all she had.

…But speaking of which, at least Zelos _had_ money, even if society did see it as his only redeeming feature. And besides, he'd stolen Corrine just to hook Sheena up with a job she hadn't even agreed to take in the first place! Bolstered by her recollection of the injustices done to her, Sheena resolved to stop feeling sorry for him, and put him as far from her mind as possible.

By the time she looked up again, Detective Ka-Fai was examining her expression through narrowed eyes… and from the looks of things, he'd been doing so for some time. How long had she been zoning out? Certainly long enough for his irritation to have ebbed away. "Get Wilder to find you somewhere to stay," he decided. "Preferably more permanent than a hotel. This is all his fault to begin with."

"Um… how can I reach him?" asked Sheena, raising her eyebrows. "He didn't exactly tell me much before he took off last night." Nothing, in fact, other than _sweet dreams_ and he'd see her around sometime.

"Your first investigation," announced Detective Ka-Fai, drawing himself up to his full height of about six feet as if issuing some sort of official command, "is to get his number. It's not as hard as it sounds," he added, wryly amused, as Sheena opened her mouth to protest. "Almost any young female will probably have it, so it'll just be a matter of getting them to tell you."

Sheena almost snorted; that didn't increase her chances half as much as Detective Ka-Fai seemed to think. Judging by Melissa's attitude, Zelos's social circle wasn't always the most welcoming to newcomers. "And what if they don't tell me?" she challenged, shifting Corrine's weight in her arms.

Detective Ka-Fai only smiled grimly. "Then you can always pay him a visit in person," he answered. "His mansion's at the top of Fooji Hill—they call it Tethe'alla Castle." He paused, shaking his head as if he thought it was exactly as ridiculous as it sounded. "You can't miss it."

"Tethe'alla… _Castle_ ," repeated Sheena dubiously, and Detective Ka-Fai gave the ghost of a smile as if that had been his initial reaction too. (In that moment, Sheena experienced her first hint of kinship with her new boss.) "Right…"

"Oh, and if you do have to go there yourself, I'd advise you to do it sometime _before_ sunset," added Detective Ka-Fai, almost startling Sheena with the suddenness of his afterthought. "Otherwise, you might stumble into one of Wilder's parties, and I'd hate for my new assistant to get caught up in anything illegal." He paused, staring Sheena down so intently that she almost staggered back. "Got it?"

Sheena nodded and swallowed, burying her face briefly in Corrine's fur for comfort, and he turned his head to lick her cheek in his familiar gesture of reassurance. "Got it," she responded, her voice cracking.

"Come back after you deal with Wilder," said Detective Ka-Fai, plucking up a nearby pen and yanking off the cap abruptly with his teeth. "I'll probably have to stay late this evening anyway, just like every other day this week," he continued sourly, speaking around the cap in his mouth as he scribbled something on the back of a business card.

Sheena watched him, mesmerized. His handwriting was small and swift and almost delicate, although she felt some apprehension as she observed that his script was arguably less legible than Zelos's. "If you're still not done by the time I'm gone, here's my address," finished Detective Ka-Fai, capping the pen and handing Sheena his card. "Don't drop by unless it's an emergency."

"Th-thank you," responded Sheena, carefully balancing Corrine in one arm as she accepted the card. "I won't let you down…?" She wasn't totally sure whether that was the right thing to say, since her current mission had more to do with taking care of herself than helping Detective Ka-Fai, but… well, it felt a little awkward just to take his address and leave.

Her new boss's only response was a quirk of an eyebrow and a jerk of his head to tell her to get out: jolting to action as if reprimanded, Sheena scurried out the door and resolved not to look back. That was a weird set of interactions, and her current instructions were weirder still, but she could handle anything now that she had her dog at her side once more.

"Well, Corrine," she sighed, stalking out the door—doing her best to avoid Pronyma's line of sight. "Time to get a guy's number for the first time in my life."

* * *

 _Bet you thought I had abandoned this. Not so! Just the slowest going imaginable, that's all._


End file.
